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Director, Dunedin Study

Moana TheodoreEmail moana.theodore@otago.ac.nz
Phone: +64 3 479 4171

Moana joined the Dunedin Study team in 1998 as an interviewer on the age-26 assessment phase (1998-99). She returned to the Study in 2007 and undertook post-doctoral research examining the early life predictors of cardiovascular outcomes including blood pressure, using longitudinal modelling techniques. Moana then worked on aligned longitudinal projects including the Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand and Te Kura Mai i Tawhiti (a programme of lifecourse research examining the long-term benefits of kaupapa Māori early childhood education programmes for tamariki (children) and whānau (families)). Moana was the recipient of an HRC Erihapeti Rehu-Murchie Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2015) and was an inaugural recipient of an HRC Māori Health Research Emerging Leader Fellowship (2018-2022). In October 2023, she became the Director of the Dunedin Study.

Moana has held a number of leadership positions. She was the Director of the National Centre for Lifecourse Research. She served on the Council of the Royal Society Te Apārangi from 2018 to 2021. She was a ministerial appointment to the Southern District Health Board from 2019 to 2022. Moana is of Ngāpuhi descent.

Selected Publications

Theodore, R.F., Tustin, K., Kiro, C., Gollop, M., Taumoepeau, M., Taylor, N. Chee, K-S., Hunter, J. & Poulton, R. (In Press). Māori university graduates: Indigenous participation in higher education. Higher Education Research and Development.

Theodore, R.F., McLean, R. & Te Morenga, L. (In Press) Addressing obesity for Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Theodore, R.F., Tustin, K., Kiro, C. & Poulton, R. Māori university graduates: analysis of the Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand. Verbal presentation at the Hawaii International Conference on Education. Honolulu, Hawaii (January 2015).

Edwards, W., Theodore, R.F., Tamati, A., Hond-Flavell, E., Korewha, H., Ratima, M., Craig, D. & Poulton, R. Te Kura mai i Tawhiti: A lifecourse approach to health and wellbeing. Verbal presentation at HRC Hui Whakapiripiri 2014. Auckland, New Zealand (June 2014).

Ratima, M., Edwards, W., Hond-Flavell, E. & Theodore, R.F. Te Kura mai i Tawhiti: He Tau Kawekawea. Maximising the impact of research: the interface of Western Science and Māori Knowledge. Keynote paper presented at the Royal Society of New Zealand, Early Career Researcher Conference: Making an impact, challenging the world. Wellington, New Zealand. (May 2014).

Theodore, R.F. & Pehi, P. Mahitahi: Interconnectedness and Leading Together. Verbal presentation at the Ara Mai he Tētēkura: Visioning Our Futures Symposium and Book Launch. Wellington, New Zealand (November 2013).

Edwards, W., Craig, D., Theodore, M., Poulton, R., Korewha, H., Tamati, A., Hond-Flavell, E & Ratima, M. (2013). Exploring the knowledge interface: Partnership in a Taranaki Māori community health research programme. Verbal presentation at the Public Health Association of New Zealand 2013 Conference. New Plymouth, New Zealand (September, 2013)

Theodore, R.F., Broadbent, J. & Poulton, R. (2012). Systolic blood pressure trajectories from childhood to adulthood [abstract]. Journal of Hypertension, 30: e13.

Theodore, R.F. Māori university graduates: Findings from the Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand. Verbal presentation at Kimihia, rangahau te wānanga inamata. Current Issues in Higher Education Research Seminar. Wellington, New Zealand (July 2013)

Theodore, R.F., Thompson, J.M.D., Wall, C.R., Waldie, K.E. & Mitchell, E.A. Foods associated with cognitive ability: Results from the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative (ABC) longitudinal study. Verbal presentation at the Paediatric Society of New Zealand conference. Nelson, New Zealand (October, 2006).

Theodore, R.F., Thompson, J.M.D., Waldie, K.E. & Mitchell, E.A. Determinants of cognitive ability in 7-year old children and children born small-for-gestational age. Poster presentation at the International conference of child cohort studies. Oxford, United Kingdom (September 2006).

Theodore, R.F., Thompson, J.M.D., Waldie, K.E. & Mitchell, E.A. Determinants of cognitive ability in 7-year old children and children born small-for-gestational age. Verbal presentation at the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Conference. Melbourne, Australia (July 2006).

Theodore, R.F., Thompson, J.M.D., Wall, C.R., Waldie, K.E. & Mitchell, E.A. Food intake and cognitive development in preschool children. Verbal presentation at the Australasian Human Development Conference. Perth, Australia (July 2005).

Theodore, R.F., Thompson, J.M.D., Wall, C.R., Waldie, K.E. & Mitchell, E.A. (2005). Food intake and cognitive development in preschool children [abstract]. Australian Journal of Psychology, 57: S172-3.

Theodore, R.F., Thompson, J.M.D., Wall, C.R., Waldie, K.E. & Mitchell, E.A. Preschool nutrition: Food frequency information of three-year old New Zealand European children. Verbal presentation at the Paediatric Society of New Zealand conference. Rotorua, New Zealand (2004).

Publications

Ruhe, T., Marek, L., Bowden, N., Wiki, J., Theodore, R., Hobbs, M., Thabrew, H., Richards, R., Milne, B., Hetrick, S., Boden, J., & Kokaua, J. (2024). The natural and built environments where Pacific children and young people in Aotearoa New Zealand live: A nationwide cross-sectional geospatial study. New Zealand Population Review, 50, 99-124. Retrieved from https://population.org.nz/journal/ Journal - Research Article

Wiki, J., Theodore, R., Marek, L., Hobbs, M., Ruhe, T., Kokaua, J., Boden, J., Thabrew, H., Hetrick, S., Milne, B., & Bowden, N. (2024). How health are the environments of tamariki and rangatahi Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand? A nationwide cross-sectional geospatial study. New Zealand Population Review, 50, 71-98. Retrieved from https://population.org.nz/journal/ Journal - Research Article

Wiki, J., Theodore, R., Marek, L., Hobbs, M., Ruhe, T., Kokaua, J., Boden, J., … Bowden, N. (2024). How healthy are the environments of tamariki and rangatahi Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand? A nationwide cross-sectional geospatial study | He pēhea nei te hauora o ngā tamariki me ngā rangatahi Māori kei Aotearoa? He rangahau mokowā ā-nuku topenga ā-motu. New Zealand Population Review, 50, 71-98. Retrieved from https://population.org.nz/journal/ Journal - Research Article

Bowden, N., McLay, L., Williams, J., Vu, H., Schluter, P., Tupou, J., Theodore, M., Sporle, A., … Stace, H. (2024). Outcomes across the lifecourse: Exploring health, educational. labour market, social services, and criminal justice system outcomes of autistic children and young people using linked population-level data. Proceedings of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 23rd Annual Meeting. (pp. 400). Retrieved from https://www.autism-insar.org Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Vu, H., Bowden, N., Theodore, M., Sporle, A., Gibb, S., Audas, R., Dacombe, J., … Taylor, B., … Tupou, J. (2024). Mortality risk among autistic children and young people: A nationwide birth cohort study. Proceedings of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 23rd Annual Meeting. (pp. 399-400). Retrieved from https://www.autism-insar.org Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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